To Raise Lilim
by SithKnight-Ayanami
Summary: Kaworu and Rei wake from nightmare-ish dreams to find they must care for a younger Shinji and Asuka, while piloting unit-02 and unit-01 respectively. rated:T for violence
1. At Least Be Yourself, Restart

**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

_**To Raise Lilim**_

_By Devaro Ayanami & SithKnight-Galen_

**Disclaimer: I do not own NGE or any of its characters. I am not making any money, this is just for fun.**

Written by DA, Beta-ed by SK-G

Chapter 2

**At Least, Be Yourself / Restart**

Rei looks passively into Gendo's face, feeling Shinji's faint call from within Unit-01.

"I am not a puppet for you to control." she says in a monotone, a faint tinge of emotion behind the words. Gendo's hand separates from his wrist with a wet pop, and he stumbles back, leaving Adam bonded to her S2 organ.

"What!? Rei, Why?" Gendo gasps, barely standing as he stares at Rei.

"Because I am not like you." she replies, faint distaste nearly hidden in her monotone. Her left arm regrows in a manner similar to Unit-01's when it fought the fifteenth angel.

"Rei!" Gendo gasps again starting to panic openly, dropping to his knees. Rei turns and begins to float up towards Lilith. "I beg you...!"

"I can't, Ikari is calling me..." regret tinging her voice, Rei continues floating towards the being on the giant cross.

"Rei!" he gasps once more, panic in his hoarse voice as she nears Lilith's torso. Rei's face hardens as she pauses before the giant.

"I won't." she says, and is absorbed by Lilith as its flesh seems to leap out, and swallows her whole.

______________________________________________________________________

Images, sounds, and feelings flow through her mind. Glimpses of other people's lives, and minds, and emotions.

Love  
Hate  
Passion  
Fear  
Terror  
Peace  
Worry  
Sorrow  
Relief  
Jealousy  
Loss  
Acceptance  
Joy

All flow from other's lives, sometimes resonating with her own short life. She doesn't understand all of them, but somehow, she knows what each is. She can feel an echo of some of them in others, people she was close too.

Shinji's voice echoes occasionally through her mind. Sometimes calling for her.

_____________________________________________________________________

_A strange feeling. My body feels as if it is melting._

_I can no longer see myself. My form, my shape, it fades from view._

_______________________________________________________________________

Slowly, awareness dawns of someone else who is not herself.

_Who is here, there? Beyond me._

Shinji? This persons I know. Who are you? This last question echoes through her mind.

**Who is this?**

"This is me."

**Who are you? What are you?**

"I am I. This object that is, is my self. That which forms me. This is myself that can be seen."

**Who are you?**

______________________________________________________________________

Another voice calls her, sounding like her own, asking who she is. She sees three girls, each looking like her, appear before her.

"Who am I? Rei Ayanami. Who are you?"

**Rei Ayanami**

"You are also Rei Ayanami?" she says, confused.

**Yes, the one called Rei Ayanami.**

**All of us are called Rei Ayanami.**

"Why are all of these me?"

**Because others call us Rei Ayanami.**

**Why do you have a false mind and a false body?**

"Not false, for I am I." Rei III glares at the child-like version of herself.

**No, you are a human whose soul was made by a man called Gendo Ikari. You are a false object pretending to be human.**

"My soul is unique. Only I am I." she says firmly, in reply to the voices' increasingly degrading comments.

**Look, you have a dark, invisible, and unintelligible mind within you, where the true you exists.**

"I am I. I've become me in the network of the links between me and others. I've been formed by the interaction with others. The interaction with people and the flow of time change the shape of my mind." Rei states, almost seeming to be trying to convince herself of the same facts.

**Those are bonds?**

"Yes. Those have formed me so far, the person called Rei Ayanami. And those will shape me from now on." she affirms.

**But, there's someone else who is the true you. You don't know her. Because you don't want to see that.**

**You are trying to run away. Because you fear. You fear the present self will disappear.**

_I am not running away, _she thinks, but before she can attempt an answer to questions slowly growing beyond her ability to answer coherently, a voice echoes through her mind, dispelling the various selves which mirror her only in appearance.

"Rei... you're right... only you can be you..." the voice sounds familiar to her, "and... I want you to have that chance... another chance... at least, Rei... just be yourself..."

_______________________________________________________________________

A blue head of hair shoots up in bed, sweat sticking it to the owner's scalp, the thin sheet sliding from her bare shoulders. Rei glances around carefully, though her mind is hazy, slowly examining the room she finds herself in. The room is larger than it should be, and clean, lacking the box of old bandages and the small fridge with her water beaker and medicine.

Noting the time as being three-twenty in the morning, she gets up and examines the rest of her 'new' apartment. After standing for a moment beside her futon, Rei walks over to the closet beside the desk. Opening it, she finds several sets of school uniforms, as well as a light-blue sundress and a few pairs of jeans and t-shirts. Taking a shirt, she walks over to a small dresser against the wall, opposite the door from the closet. Acquiring underwear and a bra from the dresser, she also trades the t-shirt in her hand for an over-sized one from the dresser, dropping the first into the open drawer.

Putting on all of the clothes she had gathered, Rei walks to the door and opens it, revealing what she recognizes as Misato's living room. This last thought, however, does not seem correct to her. Slightly irritated that her memory and senses do not match, Rei walks out of her room, the haze in her mind refusing to lift.

After a quick search of the apartment, Rei orders her thoughts while standing in the living room.

_This apartment is the same layout as Major Katsuragi's, but with key differences: One, the rent agreement found in the desk in my room states that I own this residence through Nerv. Two, the second fridge is absent. Three, there is one other resident, a child the legal documents, also found in my desk, state as being my ward. A ten year old whose name I remember easily: Shinji Ikari, only child of my Commander, Gendo Ikari. But-_

Her thoughts are interrupted by the door to Shinji's room sliding open. Turning, Rei watches him walk out of the room, opposite the larger storage closet, eyes sleepily to the ground as he walks towards her. Blearily glancing up, he freezes upon see her standing there. After a few moments of staring at each other, Shinji glances back to the ground.

"A-Ayanami-san... can... I sleep in you room... I... don't want to be by myself." Shinji asks quietly, almost sounding afraid of being told no.

"Why?" she asks in a neutral tone, watching him, and shakes slightly at the question.

"I... just don't want to be alone..." _**Those around you prove your existence, and shape who you are, and can become.**_

An echo of the dream flashes through her mind, before the haze lifts and she nods to Shinji.

"You may sleep beside my futon." she says, before going into Shinji's room and retrieving his futon. Dragging it to her room, she finds Shinji waiting on her bed. He blinks at her with half-closed eyes as she sets the futon down beside hers. As Shinji crawls over to his bed, Rei feels a smile shape her lips as she watches him curl-up under the sheets.

Tucking him in, she lays down on her own futon, sliding the cover over her still clothed body. Though she prefers to sleep nude, she feels it would not do to do so with Shinji here as well, and determines that she will begin always sleep in some form of sleeping attire.

As her eyes slowly begin to close and her mind slows as well, Rei wonders what that vision of dream was.

_That was highly unusual. I have not had such a vivid dream before. Perhaps my angel DNA is becoming more dormant... this would allow for more detailed dreams. Regardless, this was entirely to real for me to completely disregard it. I will attempt to prepare myself and my surroundings encase my nature revealed a glimpse of the future, rather than a "bad bowl of ramen" as I believe other might say._

Drifting the rest of the way into unconsciousness, Rei recalls she will have a activation test with Unit-01 tomorrow, and hopes it will go better than her last test with the cyborg.  
_______________________________

AN:

Here it is, the first chapter of this project. Hope you can all be patient, as there won't be a chapter three for about six months. Sorry.

Well, the end may seem kinda familiar, but this is not a copy of I'm Needed.

Till next time,  
Keep Strong!


	2. New Lease

**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

_**To Raise Lilim Ch.2**_

_By Devaro Ayanami & SithKnight-Galen_

**Disclaimer: I do not own NGE or any of its characters, if I did, Gendo would have been force fed to the 13****th**** Angel. I am not making any money, this is just for fun.**

Written by SK-G, Beta-ed by DA

Chapter 2

**Kaworu in Charge / New Lease**

"Kaworu…but why?" the pilot asked.

_Why indeed?_

Kaworu Nagisa could feel the weight of the purple monstrosity also known as Evangelion Unit 01 as it wrapped its hand around his now defenseless body. That strange girl, Rei Ayanami, the First Children, had just entered into Central Dogma right as he had discovered that the presence he had been drawn to was actually the Second Angel, Lilith, not the Progenitor and First of all Angels, Adam, and he suspected she had something to do with the cancelling of his angelic powers, his AT Field. He chose to ignore the First Children for the moment, directing his rather focused attention on the horned head of the purple behemoth currently holding him in it's grasp. Kaworu then realized what had to be done now, and did the only thing he really could do, he smiled.

_How did I find myself in this predicament? How could I have not noticed it sooner! Perhaps we were meant to fail all along! Well, if only one side can be chosen, let me tip the scales, it is the least I can do after my deception…._

"It is my destiny to live forever, thought it will destroy the Lilim," Kaworu finally replied, the smile almost completely vanishing from his visage as he reveals this. "However, it is possible for me to be killed, and whether I live or die makes no great difference. The one truth that Lilim have never been able to grasp is that death may be the only absolute freedom there ever was."

"What are you?" Eva Unit-01's pilot asked, the bewilderment and hurt carrying over easily through the audio pick-ups. "Kaworu, I don't understand what you are talking about. Please…don't make me do this."

_What Indeed? I am so sorry that it had to come to this, my friend._

Nagisa glances quickly over to the young red-eyed woman watching everything from her high perch before re-focusing on the head of the monstrosity holding his life in it's hand as he tries to re-assure it's pilot, his friend, Shinji, that it is alright.

_Ahh, to the end, Ayanami-San, we are still the same, at least in regards to these Lilim, to Shinji…_

"This is my wish. I want you to destroy me," Nagisa speaks with a calm, warming tone, hoping what he is saying is getting through to the other. "Otherwise, you will be destroyed. Only one life form can be chosen to evade the destruction and seize the future. And you are not the existence which should die. You need the future. It is what you Lilim live for."

Kaworu then looks and finally makes solid eye contact with the other that is like him. He smiles benevolently at the First Children before looking back to Unit-01 with a resigned look in his eyes.

"I thank you Shinji Ikari," Kaworu then states heartfully as his smile broadens. " My life was meaningful because of you."

_I am so sorry to make you suffer even more at my expense, but you must live on, Shinji. For my life is meaningless, unlike yours….and the future is yours to grasp, while mine ends here…_

Kaworu watches the Evangelion with expectant eyes as he feels the muscles in the hand of the giant spasm and twitch periodically. Then after a lifetime's hesitation, there is a twitch from the pilot and Kaworu feels his very life crushed out of him as his body is squeezed into a pulp in the purple bio-weapon's gauntleted fist.

Kaworu Nagisa crimson hued eyes flash open as he reflexively clutches his chest, trying to keep himself from hyperventilating too much as consciousness comes back to him in a rush. He blinked up at the sterile white ceiling as he tried to recall his bearings.

_Just where am I? How can I even be anywhere? I thought that I was crushed…by…Unit 01?_

The teen looks on with some wonderment at his hand as he looks at the cold sheen of sweat that he had just wiped from his brow.

_Huh? I'm…I'm alive?_

Sitting up, Kaworu then takes in his surroundings and notices the clock sitting on the night stand next to his bed displaying the time as being 3:37 am. Rubbing the bridge of his nose as he takes in the rest of his room, Kaworu suddenly notes where he is.

_Hmm, I seem to be back in Germany. More precisely, I seem to be in the Officer's Quarters that the pilots and command staff were assigned to. Even when I was here before, I was kept in a more….sequestered location than the general quarters, but why do I also feel that I have been here for quite some time. Maybe it is just an after-effect of that blasted dream……..or was it a premonition?_

Standing up and crossing over to the door, Kaworu notices there is a folder sitting on his desk, but dismisses it for the moment. The silver haired young man then opens the door and slides out into the hallway with the intention of making it to the kitchen for a glass of water and possibly some aspirin for the headache that he can feel coming on the edges of his brain. Maybe getting up at half past three in the morning was not the brightest idea in the world. Flicking on the light in the kitchen, Kaworu peered into the refrigerator to find something to soothe his suddenly dry throat. Pouring out a glass of apple juice, the young man was glad that someone with some forethought had actually stocked his fridge with some tasty things. Although, he really wasn't the type for all of those drink boxes and fruity sodas. Kaworu is so engrossed in his own thoughts that he isn't aware of another presence in his quarters, or more specifically in his living room area and sleeping on his couch. He wasn't aware of said entity at least, until it made something akin to a mewing sound and started to toss and turn in it's sleep.

_What the?_

Kaworu looks over in surprise at the movement on the couch. He makes note of the fact that there is a girl on his couch, half covered in a comforter that she must've kicked off in her sleep, and that she was tossing ever so slightly and mumbling to herself. He tried to place where he had seen her again as he fixated his gaze briefly on her scrunched cherub-like face and past shoulder length strawberry-blond hair that was splayed out on the couch and hanging off of it like a cape.

"Wait-a-minute, I thought that the esteemed Second Children was older, like, say, a teenager?"

_Hmm, then why am I thinking that now? I am the Second Children, and I always have been. Besides, she is just too young and nowhere near old enough to be pilot, or even have the right….components for it. Her only relation to the Evangelion is the fact that her late mother was the creator of my Unit, and somehow died while testing it for the first time. Besides, what is she doing here, and on my couch?_

Something clicking on in his head causes Kaworu to remember those papers that were on his desk that he had so casually dismissed earlier. Groaning he speedwalks back to his room and picks said papers up, rifling through them quickly until he comes to a page that ominously looks like a Power of Attorney, or perhaps even an adoption form.

'By order of the Federal Republic of Germany, with the tacit approval of the United States Department of Family Services and recommended by the Commanding Officer of NERV, as of this day, March 22, 2015, Pilot Officer Kaworu Nagisa NERV, designate Second Children, is henceforth named as Guardian and caregiver for one Asuka Langley Soryu. All rights and powers of Attorney are to be placed into Pilot Officer Nagisa's handling, as well as a stipend to care for Asuka until such time as she reaches adulthood at age 21 or…'

Kaworu simply blinks as he puts down the paper, a bit shocked at the implications. Before he can dwell too much on it though, he is startled by a voice behind him.

"Mister Nagisa, I'm…I'm thirsty," A sleepy-eyed and squinty Asuka states while trying to wipe sleep from her blue eyes. Kaworu notes that there is a hint of pink in them.

"Please, call me Kaworu, or Onii-san or something," Kaworu responds, approaching the sleepy girl with a warm smile. _Guess I had better make the best of this until I figure out what is really going on. _"Mister Nagisa makes me feel so…old. And we can't have that, now can we, Miss Asuka?" For emphasis he taps her nose playfully.

Asuka giggles at the gesture. "I guess not, Mister Kaworu." She glances about, unconsciously hugging her teddy bear closer to her in her half awake state. "Umm, where can I get some milk?"

"In the kitchen." Kaworu walks past the girl, and then looks back. "Well, come on." Heads into the kitchen and pulls down a tall glass from his cabinet for the girl's use.

"I dunno why I didn't think of that," the girl grumbled to herself depreciatively. "Great prodigy I am when I can't even remember milk in the fridge." Asuka looks down then, and gnashes her teeth. Kaworu spots the faint glint of metal when the girl does that and realizes that she is wearing braces.

"No talking like that, Asuka-chan. It is very unbecoming a cute young woman such as yourself. " Kaworu smiles as Asuka's mood brightens a bit at that as she begins to sip on the milk that Kaworu had given her.

"Thank you, Kaworu," Asuka states gratefully between gulps as she finishes off her glass.

"My pleasure," Kaworu responds as he puts the glass in the sink to wash later in the morning. "Now let's get up back into bed. We both need a bit more sleep."

"Okay."

Kaworu watches with a bit of concerned intrigue as Asuka crawls back into the blanket on the couch, but with a look of trepidation on her face.

"Is something the matter, Asuka-chan?"

Umm, well, this couch doesn't really feel like a bed, Kaworu sir," the girl replied, trying not to look at him or show any weakness to this man who was being nice to her. _Why would he believe me about that scary dream anyways?_

"Is the bed couch uncomfortable for you?"

"Well, sorta, I guess."

Kaworu stands in the entrance to his hallway for a few moments watching as Asuka tries to re-settle herself in her bed, but something just feels off about this. That faint look of fear was still on her small face, inspite of her best efforts to hide it and it was tugging at Kaworu.

"Hmm, well, I guess for tonight, you can have my bed."

"What about you, Kaworu sir?," Asuka asked as she shot up on the couch.

"I think I can survive one night on the couch. It is mine after all, I might as well try seeing what it feels like to do something other than sit on it."

"Umm, okay," Asuka gets up slowly, grabbing her teddy as she does so. She stops just before she gets to Kaworu, though, and looks down at her feet. "But, I really don't like sleeping alone in new places. Miss Misato or Mister Kaji always would sleep with me on nights like this."

"Nights like what?," Kaworu asked as he tilted his head to watch his new charge closely. _What is she unnerved by?_

"New places like this." Asuka then looks up at Kaworu with brightly shining eyes, even in the dim light from the running light Kaworu kept on in the hallway. "And I also had a bad dream with a giant robot like the one Mama built, and I don't wanna be alone if the dream comes again."

"Okay, okay, I guess you can sleep with me tonight, and I will make it a point to take you shopping for your own bedroom stuff, tomorrow, okay?

"Okay!", Asuka cried enthusiastically, hugging Kaworu briefly before scampering off to his bedroom.

Kaworu simply shook his head at the young girl, then looked around once more, his crimson orbs making sure that everything was in it's proper place before grabbing Asuka's discarded blanket and heading to his room himself. Once there, he couldn't quite suppress the smile on his face at seeing the girl already passed out on her side, tightly clutching her teddy. He then tenderly covers her up with her blanket, then slips under his own covers.

_Why on Earth did the Commander think that I would be a good Guardian, and to a little girl of all things? It's not like I really have time to do that if I am supposed to be the best pilot and the savior to humanity to boot. Or does he think this will help me keep in touch with my humanity in spite of my special….genetics? _

Rolling over , Kaworu tries to get comfortable as he feels sleep beginning to fog over his mind once more.

_And what am I supposed to do with Asuka tomorrow anyways? I still need to find out where she is going to school at, and I have an activation test tomorrow with Unit-02? I really hope that Doctor Akagi the younger doesn't make too much of a fuss with Asuka-chan there tomorrow. Then again, she might be the good luck charm I need to get my synch score over 50 percent inside the actual Evangelion._

With that, a contemplative smile brushes Kaworu's lips even as his world fades to black.

AN: SK-G: Well, thank you for looking at the first chapters to Devaro Ayanami's and my first attempt at a collaborative fanfiction and my long awaited return to writing. Please feel free to let us know what you think and what we can do to improve things in a constructive way.

The next installements probably will not be added until Dev gets back from learning how to serve our Country's Armed Forces, so we will probably have a writing and posting spree again in mid summer.

Thank you all once again, and please feel free to keep an eye out for us, as well as take a look at some to the other great stories out there, such as Jimmywolk's "The 2nd Try."


	3. Morning, Unit01

-1**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

_**To Raise Lilim**_

_By Devaro Ayanami & SithKnight-Galen_

**Disclaimer: I do not own NGE or any of its characters. I am not making any money, this is just for fun.**

Chapter 3

**Morning / Unit-01**

Rei opens her eyes, blinking once as she detects the slight weight on her right arm. Rotating her head to the right, she finds Shinji curled beside her, his arms wrapped around her arm. When she attempts to shift herself slightly, Shinji frowns a little in his sleep and tightens his grip on her arm. Sighing, Rei shifts again, only to receive the same response.

Resigning herself to the fact that Shinji will not let her get up without disturbing him, Rei simply slides her arm from his grasp, and glancing at the clock, gently shakes his shoulder.

"Shinji, it is time to get up." She states, nudging him a little more. He groans slightly, before looking at her and not seeming to see her with sleepy eyes.

"Is it time for breakfast already?" he asks, slowly standing. He shakes his head slightly, and leaves the room, not waiting for Rei to answer his question. Perplexed, the blue-top teen stands and follows him. Following him into the kitchen, she watches him begin to prepare breakfast.

"Shinji, what is it you are doing?" she asks, not entirely sure he should be cooking.

Shinji turns and regards her with considerably more alert eyes, and blinks. Turning the burner off on the stove, Shinji steps down from the foot-stool he was using to reach the stove top, before walking over to Rei.

"Sorry..." he says quietly, "I... I was just... gonna make breakfast. Like I normally do."

"You normally prepare breakfast?" she quirks an eyebrow at this revelation. His profile had not mentioned any cooking experience, but then, her own files left much to be desired.

"Yeah... I normally make breakfast... my uncle liked to say I should know how to do important things by myself..."

Rei blinked. Despite her, to her, annoying lack of knowledge in the area of children, Rei knew that Shinji was not old enough to be cooking. At least not by himself. Shaking her head gently, Rei walks over to the stove.

"For now, I will prepare meals as I am able. If you wish, you may assist me." so saying, Rei re-lights the stove, and begins to scramble the eggs Shinji had begun to cook.

As she cooks breakfast, with the near constant guidance from Shinji, Rei ponders why Commander Ikari would have her caring for a child he had not seemed to be overly fond of. Perhaps the Sub-commander had suggested to him that she care for Shinji. This seemed more likely when she considered Fuyutsuki's attitude towards her own upbringing. Regardless, she concludes that the commander would have told her if she needed to know.

Placing the scrambled eggs and left-over rice on plates, Rei decides to acquire books from the school library on child-care.

_Perhaps I will also ask Representative Horaki if she could offer advice on how to care for Shinji. Nerv__'__s profile for her states she has a younger sister she cares for._ So deciding, Rei begins to eat, Shinji having started while she was thinking.

Once they finish eating, Rei tells Shinji that she will be taking a shower, and to wait in the living room. Rei takes her school uniform from it's hanger in the closet, gathers her underthings, and heads for the shower. Just as she reaches the curtain dividing the kitchen from the sink and mirror portion of the bathroom, the phone on the wall begins to ring. Answering it, she hears a familiar voice.

"Hello, Rei?" an older female voice says.

"Yes." she says

"I need you to come in soon as you can for an activation test. The commander wants either Unit-01 or Unit-00 tested for piloting, and with Zero in cold freeze after the... accident in the test chamber last week, I need you to try Unit-01."

"Will one hour be sufficient, Doctor Akagi?"

"Yes, Rei," Dr. Akagi says, sighing, "that will be just fine. One hour then."

"Yes. I will see you then." Rei says, "Good-bye."

"Bye, Rei."

Hanging up the phone, Rei turns to see Shinji behind her, looking curiously up at her. Blinking, Rei watches him for a moment, before answering his silent question before he can ask it aloud.

"Doctor Akagi wishes for me to be at Nerv for an activation test in one hour."

"Can... can I come?" he asks.

"Would you not be happier here? The test will be long, and rather uninteresting for you."

"I'd rather stay near you... besides," he says, sounding eager, "Ibuki-san is nice. She always gets me a juice." Thinking for a moment, Rei decides this would perhaps be preferable to him attempting to start lunch out of her view.

"Did you have a shower last night?" she asks, some of her memories oddly hazy.

"Yes, and I'll get one tonight too." He sniffs indignantly.

"Then we will head to Nerv after my shower." She says, feeling a smile tug at her lips. Seeing Shinji nod and smile, Rei goes into the sink area, closing the curtain behind her, then goes into the shower and bath area and closes it's door. Undressing, she leaves her night things on the small shelf beside the tub, and enters the shower.

Allowing the water to flow over her for a moment, Rei again contemplates the dream she had, but files what she can remember away for further thought at another time, and finishes her shower. Exiting the shower area, she dries herself and dresses before exiting into the kitchen, and finds Shinji finishing washing the dishes from breakfast, already dressed in jeans and a blue t-shirt.

"Shinji, it is time now to leave." she says, walking to the front hallway.

"Okay, I'm coming!" he calls back, hopping down from the chair he stood on at the kitchen sink, and eagerly follows her to the door.

They place their shoes on, then stand and open the door. Feeling the heat of another summer, they walk quickly to the elevator. Or rather, Shinji pulls Rei quickly to the elevator. Entering, both sigh slightly in the air-conditioned box, before it reaches the ground, and they set off for Nerv.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Arriving at Nerv, Rei slides her card through the reader, and leads Shinji through the open hatch. Taking an elevator down to the level the changing rooms are on, Rei continues to lead him through the vast complex called Nerv-HQ.

Reaching the women's locker room, Rei has Shinji wait just inside the door as she walks to her locker. Taking her plugsuit and A-10 headset from inside, Rei draws out a small dividing curtain and changes. Pushing the curtain back, Rei takes Shinji's hand and leads him to the control room.

Walking into the control room, Rei stands a short distance from a brown haired woman who looks to be in her late thirties, but Rei knows she is nearly as old as the commander. Naoko Akagi, head of Project-E and Chief of Section 1, the Science Division.

"All right, now all we need is the Pilot." Naoko says as she turns, then blinks when she spots Rei and Shinji, "Speaking of which, hello Rei."

"Good morning Doctor Akagi." Rei says.

"I see you brought Shinji. I'm glad you're taking your responsibility seriously." Naoko says, smiling slightly, "If you'll go to your plug, we can begin."

"Shinji can not accompany me in the plug," Rei says firmly, as if the thought of putting an even younger child in Eva must be stopped before it could begin, "perhaps Ibuki-san could watch over him until I am finished?"

"Of course," Naoko says, one eyebrow twitching slightly at Rei's unspoken implication, "Maya, could you keep an eye on Shinji-kun? I'll just take your station."

"Of course, sempai." a young brunette says, and gets up from a console and walks over to Rei while smiling, "Hello again Shinji-kun, how've you been?"

Grinning, Shinji says a quiet 'good', still holding Rei's hand tightly. Looking down to Shinji, Rei sees him return her gaze. Nodding, Rei lets go of his hand, and he goes over to Maya. Turning, Rei leaves for her entry-plug. Climbing in, Rei recalls her activation test with Unit-00.

_______________________________________________________________

_flashback_

"Are you ready Rei?" Doctor Naoko Akagi calls through the intercom.

"Yes." Rei says.

"Okay, beginning First Stage Connections." Naoko says, "Power flow started, circuits stable. Power reaching arm and leg muscles. OS showing clear. How do you feel Rei?"

"I am well."

"Good, begin Second Stage Connection, prepare for full activation and Synchronization."

"Opening primary nerve circuits," Maya says, "Connecting A-10 Neural headset, approaching Absolute Borderline in 0.7, 0.6, point five, point four, point three, point two, point one... Borderline crossed!"

"Excellent. Now, Rei-" Naoko's voice is cut-off from Rei as a piercing pain lances through her mind, and everything goes black as she screams.

The next thing Rei is aware of, is the Emergency Hatch beside her jerking open. Looking up, Rei at first saw Gendo, but after a single blink realized it was Sub-commander Fuyutsuki. Rei wondered why he came, and not Ikari, but dismisses the thought from her mind as she falls back into unconsciousness.

_end flashback_

_______________________________________________________________

Blinking, Rei focuses as once again they attempt to activate an Evangelion.

"Okay, beginning First Stage Connections." Naoko says, "Power flow started, circuits stable. Power reaching arm and leg muscles. OS showing clear. How do you feel Rei?"

"I am well."

"Alright, begin Second Stage Connection, prepare for full Activation and Synchronization."

"Opening primary nerve circuits," another tech says, "Connecting A-10 Neural headset, approaching Absolute Borderline in 0.7, 0.6, point five, point four, point three, point two, point one... Borderline crossed!"

"Double-check everything. I don't want a repeat of last time." Naoko orders, watching her own screen carefully.

"Eva continuing to show stable, no signs of rejection." one of the techs says from his nearby station. "Nerve links smooth and in synch."

Relaxing back into her seat, Rei is surprised by how tightly she is gripping the butterfly handles. Releasing her grip, Rei waits for the test to end. After what seems like only a moment, but is really an hour, Dr. Akagi's voice draws her attention back to the here and now.

"Alright Rei, Unit-01 shows green on all counts. You are its Pilot. Go ahead and get out, and report to the Control Room."

"Understood." Rei replies, then ejects the plug and climbs out. Walking into the control room, Naoko waves Maya over, Shinji following, and turns to Rei.

"You have a synch score of forty-seven percent. Very good since this isn't your personal Eva. Go ahead and take Shinji home, we're done for today."

Nodding, Rei takes Shinji's hand, thanks Maya, then heads for the changing rooms to shower and change back into her school uniform. As they walk down the hall, Shinji slightly ahead of her, he begins to hum lightly, a tune which sounds oddly familiar to Rei, and for a moment she imagines an older Shinji with a cello. Blinking, the illusion vanishes as Shinji continues to hum.

"Shinji, what is the tune you are humming?" she asks, curious as to why it seems so familiar.

"Um, Canon in D… s-sorry if I was bothering you…" he replies, ceasing his humming, and ducking his small head. Rei shakes her head as she watches his physical response to her question.

"You were not bothering me, I merely wished to know what you were humming. You may continue if you like." she says, as she takes his hand again and leads him into the changing room, once again drawing the divider curtain closed. Quickly showering and changing, Rei steps over to open the divider and hears him once again humming Canon in D. A small smile tugging slightly at the corners of her mouth, Rei draws the curtain back as Shinji stands up and turns to face her.

"Are you ready to eat?" she asks, noting the clock on the wall is displaying a time of eleven fifty-six.

Shinji nods his head vigorously, smiling, and Rei takes his hand and leads him out the door and towards the D-Fac, or cafeteria.

_______________________________________________________________

As Rei turns her tray in, followed by Shinji's, a slight shiver runs down her spine.

"What…" she whispers, just as the alarms begin to blare. "Angel…!?"

Picking up Shinji, Rei runs for the door, and head down the hallway, trying to decide what to do with her burden. _I cannot take him in the entry plug with me, and I cannot just leave him alone in the changing rooms…. I will leave him with Ibuki-san, she can watch over him until I return… _And so deciding, she turns down the next corner and heads for the bridge.

Reaching the bridge, she moves quickly and quietly to Maya's station and sets Shinji down next to Maya, whispering so only they can hear her.

"Ibuki-san, I have need of your assistance. Please watch over Shinji while I pilot. Shinji, do as she says. Wait for me here, I will return for you." receiving a nod from both, Rei quickly leaves the bridge and runs for the Cages.

Reaching the Cage for Unit-01 and climbing into the plug, Rei hopes the battle will be quick so she can return to Shinji. Unsure of the Commander's reaction to having a child, especially his child, on the bridge during combat, Rei can only hope Maya can keep him hidden from the UN and Ikari's view.

"Rei, can you hear me?" Naoko says as a screen appears in the entry plug.

"Yes." Rei replies, wondering where Maya was.

"Don't worry about Shinji, I have him and Maya further back on the bridge, safely out of view." she says, seeming to read Rei's thoughts. Nodding, Rei closes the comm window and opens a channel to the bridge.

"Unit-01 is ready for launch. Requesting clearance and objectives." she says, then waits as she overhears the UN commanders bickering, before she hears Naoko's voice once more.

"You are cleared for launch, Rei. You're going to have to wait at the outskirts of the city, though. The JSDF want to try and take out the Angel before they lets us have a go. Be ready to spread your AT Field, I thought I heard one of the generals talking about using an N2 mine."

"You are cleared for launch, Rei. You're going to have to wait at the outskirts of the city, though. The JSDF want to try and take out the Angel before they lets us have a go. Be ready to spread your AT Field, I thought I heard one of the generals talking about using an N2 mine."

"Understood." Rei says, then braces for launch as she yells, "Unit-01, LAUNCH!" and is thrown skyward.


	4. Test, Interrupted

**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

_**To Raise Lilim Ch.4**_

_By Devaro Ayanami & SithKnight-Galen_

**Disclaimer: I do not own NGE or any of its characters, if I did, Kaworu would've blew off that stupid compulsion by declaring, "I am the Angel of Free-Will, I choose my own Path, therefore I make my own rules, not follow the craptacularly bad plans of others…psah"…. I am not making any money, this is just for fun.**

Written by SK-G, Beta-ed by DA

Chapter 4

**Kaworu in Charge / Test, Interrupted **

Kaworu Nagisa slowly opens his eyes, glancing over at the clock as was his habit to do first thing upon waking up most mornings. He quickly knows that it was early morning, as the first rays of the later spring morning were already peeking through his window blinds and onto his pillow. Stretching out, he suddenly became aware of a warmth laying beside him in the bed.

_What in the? Red hair…oh yeah, that's right, Asuka-chan, so I guess that wasn't a dream either…._

Smiling faintly as he re-calls the events of the night before, or rather earlier that morning, Kaworu quietly slides out of bed and with as much stealthiness as he can muster, grabs a change of clothes and slips out of the bedroom to get in a morning shower before his young charge awakens for the day.

_Maybe if I am lucky, I'll have at least a good 30 minutes to an hour before she gets up. She did have something of an exciting night, all things considering._

Getting the shower to just the right temperature, Kaworu eagerly jumps in to freshen up and plan out just what he is going to do for the both of them for the day ahead of them.

Asuka wakes up to the morning sunlight warming her face. Smiling, the young German girl rolls into the light to catch a few more moments of the wonderful time between fully wakefulness and slumber when she mentally makes note of the distinct lack of the warmth that she had been cuddled up to for the last few hours. With a start, she opens her azure eyes widely, taking in her surroundings with both wide eyed wondered as well as a hint of all-too-familiar trepidation.

_Where am I now? Oh yes, that's right, Herr Nagisa's quarters, where Captain Kaji dropped me off yesterday. But where then did Herr Nagisa go?_

Her fears of abandonment are calmed slightly by the sound of the shower running down the hallway.

_Yay! He didn't just leave me alone. Well, I guess I had better get up for the day as well. I gotta get ready for classes. Does Herr Nagisa know where my school is even at? I guess I should ask him, but would that be insulting his intelligence if I did so?_

With those thoughts running through her head, the young prodigy gets out of the bed herself and goes to the Pilot's, no, her new guardian's, living room to retrieve her toiletries and a change of clothes for the day.

_Do I go with the Sundress or the jeans and my yellow and blue blous…_

"Oh, good, you're up, Asuka-chan."

The voice behind her causing her to jump and spin reflexively, Asuka grabs her now chosen outfit closer to her chest as she smiles nervously and addresses the pale euro-asian man smiling at her while drying out his silvery hair.

"Umm, yes, yes I am, Herr Nagisa, sir."

"What did I tell you last night about calling me mister, Asuka-chan?,' Kaworu asks with a smirk playing across his youthful face. The smirk fades a bit at the girl's reaction, however.

"That I shouldn't do it, b-because it makes you feel old and stuff," Asuka seems to mutter out as she suddenly finds the floor to be very interesting.

"Heh, don't worry about it. Asuka-chan. As I said, just call me, Kaworu, or Nii-san. Either will be more than fine by me," Kaworu states with a tender smile as he uses his index finger t raise little Asuka's head so that their eyes meet.

_Nii-san? Does he really want me to look at him as my big brother? Well, he is being awfully nice, but is that because he wants to or because he was ordered to?_

"Oh-okay, Mister Kaworu."

'Again with the 'Mister'", Kaworu exasperates good-naturedly. "I guess we'll have to work on that, Asuka-chan. Why don't you go ahead and freshen up while I figure out something for us to eat." He then taps a finger to his chin for a moment as a smile spreads across his face. "How do pancakes sound?"

"Yummy!" A smile spreads across the redhead's face before she sprints towards the bathroom to get her own shower out the way. The quicker she can do that, the quicker she can tackle some yummy pancakes….that is if Kaworu can actually cook pancakes. Well, Captain Kaji did all of the cooking when she lived with him and Miss Misato, so it doesn't surprise Asuka that much that Kaworu offered to make something for breakfast. Now it was just a matter of getting that pesky shower out of the way.

* * *

Kaworu is just finishing the last of the pancakes and putting them on the small stack he had compiled on the plate at the small dining room table when Asuka finally pops back out of the bathroom. He turns with a smile as she sniffs the air.

"Ah, your timing is excellent. I was just about to call you to let you know that Breakfast is ready."

"Well, they do smell pretty good, Mister Kaworu, sir," Asuka commented as she approaches the table.

"Just wait until you taste them then. I do think that they are pretty good myself, but I tend use jam myself instead of syrup," Kaworu blithely remarks as he first pulls out a chair for Asuka, then goes around to get himself something to drink from the kitchen before seating himself. "I wasn't sure if you preferred milk or juice with your breakfast, so which would you like."

Asuka paused in her drowning of her healthy helping of four pancakes to look over to the kitchen for a moment before continuing with her doctoring of the plate before her.

"Milk please."

"One milk coming up for the lady," Kaworu quipped with a flourish as he returned to the dining room area, plinking a tall glass of lowfat milk down in front of the tween's plate before going and sitting down at his own place across from her. He then takes a long sip of his own milk as he watches the joyous look on her face as she tastes his breakfast concoction before he digs in himself.

The two then eat their meal mostly in silence, letting the clinking of silverware on plates be their conversation in their respite. Towards the end of the meal, the silence was broken however, by the innate curiosity of overly bright and inquisitive children.

"So umm, Mister Kaworu, what are we going to do for the rest of the day? Are we going to be going shopping and getting my new bedroom stuff?"

Kaworu paused in his eating as he took a moment to consider how to answer that question. He had thought about it a bit during his shower, but still needed to work out all of the details in his head. He did have the room after all, and had always wondered why he was assigned to a three room apartment when there was only him living here before.

"Well, we can do that this afternoon. I have to go to NERV in a little while and do some synching tests at the research and development center."

"What exactly do you do at NERV, Mister Kaworu?" Asuka asked before popping the last bit of pancake in her mouth, and then following it down with the last of her milk.

Kaworu arches an eye at the query, but decides to humor his new charge anyways.

"Well, I am a test pilot for a new interactive combat bio-organic weapons platform that goes by the identification of Project Evangelion. I am the pilot for Evangelion Production Unit-02."

"If you are the pilot of Evangelion Unit-2," Asuka begins with a slightly confused look on her cherub-like face. "Then who is the pilot of the Evangelion Unit-1? And how many Evangelions are there?"

"Honestly, I do not know, as I have never met the other pilot. I just know that I am only the second pilot."

"Why have you never met the other pilot?"

_Why indeed? Part of me thinks that I may have met them before, but why do so many names for that other pilot keep bouncing around in my head this morning? I think I might be dwelling too much on that stupid nightmare from last night._

"That is because they are not here. The other pilot and Eva Unit-01 are both at another branch of NERV in a place called Japan."

"Wow,' Asuka breathes out after a moment of thought and swallowing a mouthful of syrupy pancake. "So they are making one Eva-thingie here, and they are making another one in my mama's home country, too? That seems a bit goofy, really. Why not make both of them together in the same place so that they could be made better together? Even I know that."

"I guess they figured they didn't need two giant robots in one city," Kaworu muses as he rises from the table, collecting the assorted cutlery from the dinner table. "Then again, maybe the Japanese and German governments both want to feel secure with their very own Evangelions." Kaworu then chuckles as he thinks of the two governments as two children with their own toys in a sandbox as he starts up the water in the sink. "Then again, with some adults, you never can tell."

After a few moments, the dishwater is at the right temperature and Kaworu is busy cleaning up the mess from breakfast, but then realizes there is a way to make this go faster, so decides to make good use of the new addition in his household.

"Asuka-chan, could you be a dear and get the rest of the condiments back where they belong. The butter and jam goes in the fridge."

"And what about the syrup?" Asuka asks as she sticks her head out of the fridge.

"Oh, that goes in the cabinet over there," Kaworu points towards the wall pantry just behind the girl. "And when you are done with that, go ahead and get your shoes and coat, because we will be leaving as soon as I am done in here."

"Okay," Asuka responds and headed out of the kitchen, then stops and looks back over to the young man who was drying the last of the dishes. "I really wanna go see where you work, but don't I have to be at school today?"

Kaworu merely turns around and gives her an indulgent smile at that comment, which only seems to confuse Asuka more.

"What's so funny about my question? I really don't think that I can afford to miss any days of school unless I really have to, you know."

"I never met someone who was so intent on going to school that would even be willing to give up a Saturday to go in to school," Kaworu quips as he walks by, mussing up Asuka's brushed hair as he passes her on his way to his bedroom.

"I do not like school that much!" Asuka retorts hotly, her braces flashing briefly. "I just kinda forgot that I didn't have to go today,' she continued, her voice coming back down to a normal pitch the longer she speaks. "You know, with finding out about you becoming my new guardian and everything." She then averts her light blue eyes again as the older boy comes back into the living room, now donning his NERV uniform top and carrying a coat of his own in his hands.

"You make that sound like a bad thing, Asuka-chan," Kaworu says with a mock pout as he dons his service jacket of black with dark blue trimming. "Now let's hurry up. The quicker I can do these tests, the quicker I can take you out for a day on the town."

"You don't have to, Mister Kaworu…..oh, thank you," Asuka states as she feels two larger hands hold open her own coat for her to slide her arms into. HER beige trench coat. Smiling up at him thankfully, she then follows the teen to the door.

"Do you have everything?"

"Yes sir," Asuka states, then glances over at her luggage and sees something she mentally cursed herself for forgetting then rushes over and slides it cutely over her arm. "Okay, now I got everything." Blushing slightly, she re-joins her guardian.

Kaworu lets the girl run past before he closes and locks the front door, reminding himself to get her a key made as well.

"Alrighty then, one short trip to NERV for a bit, and then we can have the rest of the day to do whatever we want."

* * *

Kaworu and Asuka arrive at the NERV-3 Central Command and Testing area a little while later, only having to go thru four checkpoints, the only noticeable delay being when Kaworu found out that he had to get Asuka registered as a visitor, and as his ward. It didn't hurt that when Captains Katsuragi and Kaji were watching her, they were insightful enough to have a file drawn up for her.

"Do we really have to go through any more of those stops?" Asuka asks as they ride down one of the elevators from the surface down to the Central Testing Center and the EVA cages. She was still fingering the NERV ID badge that had her name and some vital information on it that was attached to the lapel of her coat. The frown on her face was slight, but noticeable.

"That should probably be the last of them, at least for today Asuka-chan," Kaworu replies re-assuringly.

"I hope so. Those guys were kind of creepy," Asuka states while looking out the elevator into the expanse below. Then something catches her eye and she points at it with an eager look on her face. "Hey, Mister Kaworu, what is THAT thing!?"

"That, my dear Asuka-chan, is Evangelion Unit-02," Kaworu states with a chuckle, although there is more than a hint of pride in his normally melodic voice.

"You actually get to pilot that giant robot down there?" That is so cool!" Asuka gushes as she pushes her face up against the glass of the elevator cage to get a better look at the behemoth below.

"I sure do. And you know something else?"

"What's that?"

"That very same bio-mech that you see below you, the one that I pilot, is also the same robot that your mother helped create," Kaworu reveals while turning his gaze from Unit-02 back towards the girl. "It was one of your mother's two crowning achievements, you know."

"And what was the other?"

"Why you, of course," Kaworu replied easily, poking Asuka playfully on the tip of her nose, causing the girl to giggle reflexively just as the cages open, revealing a smirking Captain Ryoji Kaji, also known as Director of Security Operations.

"You know, he is right about that, Asuka," Kaji adds with a playfully warm smirk of his own.

"Mister Kaji!" Asuka yells like a battle-cry as she enthusiastically hugs the man that has been a surrogate father to her for the last four years. She buries her head into his lower sternum as she glomps onto him in a tight bear hug, or least as tight of one as a ten year old girl can produce.

"Why hello to you, too."

"What are you doing here?," the girl excitedly squeals.

Kaji can't help but smile down at his and Misato's former ward as she continues to squeeze the breath out of him. "Why, this is where I work, of course.

"Oh yeah," the girl chuckles with some self-reproach creeping into her emotions "I guess I forgot." She then brightens her smile as she pulls herself away. "But since it's a Saturday, and normal people don't work on Saturdays unless you work retail or something "boringly mundane" like that, I should be forgiven for letting it slip my overworked mind. After all, studying for college entrance exams is very taxing to a delicate young girl like myself."

_She's studying for her Arbitur already? I knew she was bright, but ..hmm, I really think I need to get to know my new ward better. _Kaworu quietly re-assesses the prodigy that somehow had landed in his care in the last day as he quietly watches her continue to babble with Captain Ryoji Kaji. _There seems to be so much that I still need to learn about young Asuka._

"Since you put it that way," Kaji smirks down as Asuka playfully bats her eyelashes at him in an attempt to garner sympathy from both men. "Of course we forgive you this time. But don't let Misato catch you saying things like that."

"Oh, I'm not worried about that," Asuka replies airily.

Kaji arches an eyebrow at that. "Oh. And why is that Miss Soryu?"

"Because," Asuka continues with a flip of her deep red hair. "Miss Misato simply adores me."

"Is that so?"

Asuka spins around to the new voice, not noticing the faint smirks playing on the faces of both of the men that she is with. "Aaahh! Don't sneak up on me like that, Misato!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't be talking about people behind there back." Captain Misato Katsuragi then walks over and ruffles the girls hair slightly with a wide grin on her face as she face the other two. "You know how it tends to summon those people to you, Asuka.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Don't you ma'am me, young lady. It makes people feel old way before their time," Misato sighs as she looks over to the gray haired teen watching everything with a detached smile. "And how are you doing today, Kaworu?"

"Good Morning, Captain Katsuragi. I'm doing fine, even with the new responsibilities, as pleasant as they are."

"So I take it you are ready for the tests then?"

"More than ready ma'a….err, Captain," Kaworu grins at the beginning of a glare forming on the face of his purple haired Commanding Officer.

"Good to hear." Misato then glances back over to Asuka, who has moved back over near Kaji and is watching both Kaworu and Misato. "Although I do have to ask, why did you bring Asuka along?"

"Well, I didn't see any harm in her coming with me. She does need to know where her guardian works and what he does for a living when I'm not in classes myself. Besides, would it really be responsible of me just to leave her home alone?" Kaworu shrugs nonchalantly with the strength in his logic.

"Well, we're not a daycare either, you know."

"Well, if it's going to be a problem then…"

"No, no, I just know I am going to catch flak about this later from Rits when she hears about this."

"Umm, if you want, I can watch Asuka while Kaworu does his tests," Kaji pipes up, placing one arm lightly on Asuka's shoulder.

"But I wanna see Mister Kaworu operate his robot. Did you know Mama made it for him?" Asuka states as she looks over to Kaji.

"Really now?" Kaji queries good naturedly while giving Kaworu an appraising look.

Misato's brow furrows as she considers it for a moment. It wasn't exactly within UN military protocol, much less NERV Standard Operating Procedure, to allow a child, even one as gifted as Asuka into a sensitive area like the command center of NERV-Berlin, but she was also the Operations Director and acting Second in Command.

_Hmm, if Ryoji is there with her, I don't think it'll be a problem, as long as Kaworu can synch with Unit-02 successfully, and we don't have anything like what happened with Unit-00 when they tried to activate that last week. Then again, Ritsuko might have a kitten as soon as she sees the urchin near one of her precious lab stations._

"Hmm, well, we could let…"

"What if I promise to be really good and just stay out of the way and not touch anything or talk or anything?" Asuka suddenly pipes up, and almost pleading look on her face as she begins to tuck in her bottom lip slightly.

"Captain, really, would it be better if we just re-scheduled this for a time when I can find a suitable and trustworthy sitter?" Kaworu asks with a hint benign exasperation playing on his features.

"No, no, Ritsuko has already gotten everything set up to run the activation and synching confirmation harmonics tests now, so we might as well get it over with."

"Umm, where is Doctor Akagi anyways?" Kaworu can't help but ask as his Crimson eyes dart about not picking up any sign of the head of NERV Germany's SciDiv 1.

Jerking a thumb back the way she came, Misato quips, "Oh, she's already on the command bridge going over everything. She wants to have a front row seat when the show begins, so to speak."

"Ahh."

"And since you are the main event, Pilot Nagisa, you better get your tail suited up and down to the cages before Ritsuko decides to stop attempting to be patient and send the "real" security after you," Misato snarks out, giving Kaji a definitely pointed look as Nagisa begins to move past her.

Kaworu starts to head to the lockers on aut-pilot, then stops as he realizes something and looks back over his shoulder.

"Now be a good girl for Captains Katsuragi and Kaji Asuka. Hopefully this won't take too long and I can then treat you to a nice lunch at that mall downtown, okay?"

"Okay!," Asuka chirps out, a smile on her face. "Don't take too long, though. It's not nice to keep a growing girl waiting, you know."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Kaworu quips with a wave of his hand and a warm smile on his face as he departs from the others and makes his way to the changing room to suit up.

Asuka watches the nice boy walk down the corridor and then turn a corner out of sight before she turns her attention on the remaining two adults. "What all does Mister Kaworu have to do anyways?"

Kaji gives Misato a brief look before turning to face the inquisitive girl. "Well, we have to make sure that the Evangelion's programming works for Kaworu, and that Kaworu is able to work with the system."

"Why's that? It's just a dumb robot, right? All Mister Kaworu has to do is turn it on and it works, right?"

"Sort of, but not quite Asuka," Misato replies before Kaji could muddle things up anymore.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's like this," Misato begins to lead the other two towards the Command bridge. "The Evangelion has something like a computer brain that gives it something like a personality."

"You mean like an Android or something?"

"Exactly."

"If it is an Android, then why do you guys need Mister Kaworu to pilot it?"

"Because even with all of it's advanced programming, the Evangelion still needs a human component to control it and make sure that it is doing the right thing. You see, Kaworu acts sort of like it's brain and conscience," Misato explains patiently as she pulls out and swipes her ID card at the security keypad allowing access the Command bay just beyond.

"Wow, that must be a very important job he has to do."

"You don't know the half of it kiddo, Kaji spoke in a demurred voice as he brought up the rear of the contingent, allowing the door to close behind him after he passes through. He pointedly tries to ignore the various looks from the three women at his almost murmured comment. With a casual smile he turns the charm on to the blonde before him. "Why hello there, Ritsuko. How's my favorite mad scientist today?"

* * *

Kaworu walks down the access scaffolding to the Entry-plug that would soon connect him to the Bio-mechanical weapon known as Evangelion-02, his mind trying to focus him on the task at hand for the most part.

_Well, I guess I can say that the suit's color design is fitting for the machine that I am supposed to be the controller and pilot of. The red works, but these splotches of black make me feel like I am a superhero or something. And why does this thing have to be that snug anyways? I'm glad I don't have to do anything that would require any real stretching._

"Pilot Nagisa, sir. Everything Is prepped and ready for you."

"Thank you, Chief Scheer. I guess that means I should be getting aboard, eh?" Kaworu quips with a smile as he glances back up towards the Command deck while climbing up the access ladder.

"That might be for the best, Sir. It seems Doctor Akagi is about to spit bullets."

"Well then, let's not keep the good Doctor waiting any longer, shall we?" Kaworu slides into the control couch, and then gives a thumbs up the crew chief. "Seeya on the flipside."

As the techs depart, taking the prep gear with them, Kaworu begins to go thru the start up procedures, starting with the cameras and power feeds. One by one the systems begin to go from stand-by to full active as the Evangelion comes to life. The external monitors activate and swivel into position as Kaworu gazes thru the monitor up at the Command Center. He is not that surprised to see Doctor Ritsuko Akagi staring back at him. He is a bit surprised however, to see that Asuka was allowed to watch the ongoings even if she was a bit more out of the way. Kaworu then hears a crackle thru the comm. line as he notes the doctor taking possession of a mic right before her attractive, yet stern visage appears on his screen, the sheen off of her glasses seeming to make her deep green eyes bore into him and his soul.

"How is everything going on your end, Pilot Nagisa?"

"All pre-launch sequences check out fine on my end."

"Everything shows up within acceptable parameters here for us as well. Are you ready to begin the synchronization procedures now?"

"Just give the word, Doctor Akagi."

"Alright, we are going to go ahead and begin in a few moments then. Relax and just concentrate on becoming in tune with your Eva, and we'll monitor everything from here."

Akagi then cuts the audio feed on her end so that Kaworu can distantly hear what is going on in the command room without him being able to directly talk with the bridge crew without someone re-opening the feed. Closing his eyes and trusting the technicians to do their job, Kaworu tries to focus on lowering his heart rate and trying to clear his mind of all the stray thoughts running through it.

_I am one with my Evangelion….everything else is out there, and I am in here. I need to be one with my Evangelion, nothing else matters but our connection…Hmm, I wonder what Asuka is going to want to get for lunch….no, no, focus…..I need to become open to my Evangelion…..in order to perfect synchronization, I must open myself to the oneness of my Evangelion.._

Back up on the Bridge level, the NERV Bridge Controllers and Evangelion support staff continue to run the phase I and II checks on the war machine in their care under the meticulous eye of Doctor Akagi.

"We are about to breach the absolute borderline, Doctor Akagi."

"A-10 connections are all at optimal levels."

"Neurological levels and amplified voltage levels are within established parameters."

"Harmonics connections are primed and reading as positive, Doctor. Feedback is optimal."

Ritsuko nods as the information comes in from the various technicians manning the consoles surrounding her. She spares a quick glance with Misato before re-opening the comm. line, the barest hint of a satisfied smile playing on her features.

"Pilot Nagisa, how are you feeling?"

"Not too bad overall. A little bit anxious and a bit warm, but not that bad otherwise."

Ritsuko glances down and jots something down on her clipboard, "Alright, we have already begun the harmonics tests and should be done compiling the information on your synchronization harmonics baseline in the next little bit, so we are going to need for you to be patient and focue for just a little while longer."

"Understood," Kaworu replies back in a slightly distracted voice. It seems as if he is only half paying attention to what Ritsuko is telling him, but does show the amount of awareness he does have of his surroundings when he inclines his head towards the monitors as he asks, "Have you been able to determine what my current ratio is yet?"

Ritsuko steps forward before the attending technician can give an answer, and reads the results to herself from the console, her eyes widening in surprise at the results.

"Well," Misato asks, with a bit of impatience in her own voice. "What're the results already?"

Ritsuko merely gives her old college roommate a small smile before she turns back to towards the monitors, the stern expression that is normally on her face replaced by one of minor shock. "Good work, Pilot Nagisa, it seems that your scores have….."

The lights of the room suddenly go an amber color, catching everyone's attention and cutting Ritsuko off in mid-sentence as she first looks up and then looks over at the monitors, her mask carefully back in place.

"Now what?,' Kaji exasperates as he quickly comes over to Ritsuko's side, also staring intently at the screens.

"Misato, what's going on? Those sirens are hurting my ears," Asuka whines as she slides closer to Misato's side, trying to bury her head against the other woman to drown out some of the ear piercing noise.

"What is going on? The sirens are only supposed to come on if there is a disaster of some kind," Misato asks the other two senior officers as she runs a comforting hand down Asuka's back in an attempt to keep the girl from freaking out completely.

"That's because there is a disaster going on, Katsuragi," Ritsuko replies coolly. Turning to an assistant, she begins to hand out commands. "Cancel the tests, save what we have od the harmonics so far, and then Lock down the entry plug and place the Evangelion on hot stand-by status."

"Should we try contacting NERV Tokyo directly, or just try to co-ordinate with the MAGI system?" Kaji asks as he pulls up NAVSAT and tactical information up on the giant Secondary screens to get a realtime analysis of what was going on in Tokyo-3.

"I'm not sure if we will be able to contact the First Branch if they have gone into complete lock-down mode, but try anyways," Ritsuko shoots back even as she rapidly inputs her own command codes into the MAGI system.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Misato finally shout, hating be left out of the loop, but loath to leave Asuka on her own.

"They've come, Misato," Kaji replies in a somber tone, not even looking back at his long time girlfriend.

"What do you mean?" Misato ask as something dark begins to niggle at the back of her mind, and a chill runs up her spine .

"There's been an Angel sighted just off the Coast of Japan and it's moving rapidly on Tokyo-3," Ritsuko replies tightly, her already pale features whitening noticeably as she reads what the MAGI are informing her in real-time.

"Oh my God," Misato utters as she looks over frantically at the one open monitor still open towards the plug with Kaworu still inside it. The young man is trying to look non-chalent, but Misato notes the nervousness in the tic in his left eye as the pilot looks about. To her it seems odd that the timing of the tic is almost in synch with the shudders from Asuka from the assorted noise in the command room. Misato's mind also makes note of the time on the monitor right next to Nagisa's vitals, which sticks with her for some odd reason.

It was currently 0939 hours in Berlin. And the first Messenger had finally made landfall.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry this one wasn't quite out at the same time as Chapter 3. In the future I do hope to get them out more in synch with each other. Please feel free to drop us reviews and suggestions. Feedback is always a nice bonus for our hard work! Oh yes, and if you see anything that might seem different between chapters 1 and 3 or chapters 2 and 4, please let Devaro or myself know so that we can fix things. It has been awhile and we are trying to get back in the groove of things.


	5. Combat, Wakey Wakey

**Neon Genesis Evangelion:**

_**To Raise Lilim**_

_By Devaro Ayanami & SithKnight-Galen_

**Disclaimer: I do not own NGE or any of its characters. I am not making any money, this is just for fun.**

**Beta-ed by SithKnight-Galen**

Chapter 5

**Combat! / Wakey Wakey**

Rei reaches the surface, jolting to a stop and lifting slightly up out of the command seat. Settling back into her seat and feeling the shoulder restraints unlock, she moves the purple Eva carefully through edge of the city in the direction of the Angel. Exiting Tokyo-3, she remains behind the low mountains that lay between the city and the Angel, using video and sensor feeds from HQ to monitor its progress towards her. Rei watches the creature slowly marching towards her location, seeming to be completely unaware of the JSSDF VTOLs that float around it.

"The unidentified object is still approaching," a Bridge-tech says, "We have a visual. Transferring to main screen."

"Rei," Naoko appears on a side screen, "Pull back to the city. Try to keep the angel from seeing you."

"Understood." Rei backs up, then turns and reenters the edge of Tokyo-3, feeling like something is out of place. Moving towards a weapons cache along the Angel's predicted route, Rei glances at a screen showing the Angel and its escort of VTOLs. The craft fire off a barrage of missiles and gunfire into it, the blasts hide it momentarily from the camera's sight.

"All missiles hit the targ-" comes over the comm before the angel reaches up and a glowing energy beam slams into a VTOL, and then retracts back into the angel's arm as the VTOL spins rapidly in a circle as it plummets to ground.

"Target is still intact. It is now entering Tokyo-3 jurisdiction." Rei takes an assault rifle from the armory building, "Air Defense Force is unable to stop it."

"Roger. Mobilizing all Self Defense Forces." At this last comment, missile and gun batteries open up on the Angel from multiple directions, both the city's own weapon emplacements and the weapons of the JSSDF positioned around the city. Rei watched as a massive missile flew towards the Angel, only to be caught it in its outstretched hand and then detonate a second later, and wiping out most of the UN units in the area.

"Close open channels…" Rei murmured, and the chatter stops, only Naoko's channel still open. "Doctor Akagi, I am in position."

"Good… Rei!" Naoko exclaims, "They're dropping an N2. NOW! Spread your AT-Field!"

Hearing the elder doctor's words, Rei instantly spreads her 'Field. A bright flash goes off in front of her and is soon followed by a blast wave of heat and pressure that slams into her AT-Field and is deflected to either side. As the blast dissipates, the slight static it had covered her communications in is replaced by Naoko Akagi's face.

"Don't lower your guard Rei."

"Understood." Is all she says as she waits for the dust to clear, and instantly spots the form of the third Angel, Sachiel, looking only slightly harmed, its flesh looking vaguely like melting wax. "Doctor, the Angel is relatively intact. Requesting permission to engage."

"We see it Rei. The UN is transferring control to us. Engage at will."

Closing the channel, Rei centers the angel in her targeting reticule and, spreading her AT-Field, she pulls the trigger. The stream of rounds fly across the distance and slam into Sachiel, shredding flesh and sending gobbets of scaly flesh and chunks of bleached bone onto the streets and buildings nearby. The creature's AT-Field flicks into existence for a moment, deflecting a couple of rounds into the ground where they blast dirt and concrete into the air, before collapsing completely as Rei takes a step closer and negates its Field with her own.

The angel's eyes in its new, half-formed face beneath its first, melted-wax face flash, and the beams lance through the hole in both their Fields and blasts Unit-01's right shoulder pylon off. Rei yelps and grabs at her right shoulder, feeling like it was nearly jerked out of its socket, as her Eva drops the rifle. Jerking to the left, she narrowly dodges the angel follow-up arm-spike as it stiffly moves to follow and kill her.

"Rei! Engage your Prog knife! Try remove or shatter the core!" Akagi shouts, and Rei can also hear her slamming away at her keyboard.

Nodding, she raises her right hand towards her remaining shoulder pylon as with a mental command she opens the pylon and deploys the hidden progressive knife.

The Progressive Knife, or Prog. Knife, is essentially a giant, folding, bowie knife. What makes it progressive is the sonic-vibration generator in the hilt. The rapid vibrations make the blade sharper by simulating the normal sawing motion, similar to the electric knife your parents may have had at one time in the kitchen. It also generates a threatening hum.

While the sudden hum coming from the blade does little more than appear to gain Sachiel's attention, the vibrations do their job as Rei cleanly slices through the arm-spike the angel sends at her. The angel jerks its arm away and wraps it close to its torso as its eyes once again flash.

Prepared this time, Rei dodges behind a building and avoids the blast. She retracts her AT-Field as she keeps buildings between her and the angel while she moves to get behind it. Jumping over a building she is rewarded with the angel slowly moving towards the center of Tokyo-3, its back towards her. Slamming into Sachiel's back, she bowls it over and pins it down, the whole weight of her Eva on the small of its back.

Rei slams the knife down into the center of its back, roughly where she had seen the core on the angel's chest. She is rewarded with the angel emitting a strange burbling sound and becoming almost ooze-like as it tries to wrap around her. Rei tries to jerk back but is caught in the clinging flesh. She struggles for a moment before her world becomes fire and pain. Screaming from the pain and heat, she mercifully passes out.

***

Orange sunlight slants through the hospital window and seems to gently wrap around the blue-haired young woman. It must be a hospital window, she contemplates, as her windows in her old apartment are not clean or large enough for the amount of light landing on her closed eyes. The other hint is the clean, anti-septic smell of the room and sheets covering her.

Slowly blinking her eyes open, she is greeted with the familiar sight of the hospital ceiling. Turning her head towards the window, she sees she is in the Geofront hospital, the building standing behind the pyramid. Turning her head the other direction she sees Doctor Naoko Akagi sitting beside her, with her head at an angle only comfortable in sleep.

"Doctor Akagi…" Rei whispers, but when this elicits no reaction from the elder Akagi, she raises her voice to normal speaking volume, "Doctor Akagi."

Hearing her name called, Naoko sits-up straight, blinking as she wakes up. Seeing Rei watching her, she gives a small smile as she massages a kink out of her neck.

"Good morning, Rei. Or afternoon as is the case. Didn't I tell you to call me Naoko when off duty?"

"My apologies, Naoko," Rei nods her head, acknowledging the request, "Is Shinji well?"

Naoko blinks, and after a moment smiles, "He's fine, Rei." she then pulls out her cell.

"Maya? You can bring him in now. Thank you." placing her cell back in the pocket of her lab coat, she carefully places a hand on Rei's shoulder, a care Rei is grateful for when her shoulder twinges as it remembers the damage done to the Eva, "You did well, Rei. Shinji was cheering you on."

"He…was?" Rei blinks, "Was he discovered by the Commander?"

"No, he wasn't noticed," Naoko chuckles, "He was chanting 'go Rei' over and over quietly."

Rei turned her gaze towards her feet, a faint blush on her cheeks, though only those who know her would notice it. Naoko sees this and smiles, glad once more for having listened to Fuyutsuki five years ago.

"Rei-chan!"

Both women turn their heads to face the door as Shinji darts in, leaving a chagrinned Maya standing just outside the room. The young boy leaps onto the edge of the bed, and both Rei and Naoko help him the rest of the way up, where he immediately glomps Rei in a fierce hug.

"I knew you'd win." he says, not letting go, as if to let go would mean she would fade away.

Rei smiles at his assertion, feeling he will perhaps help her more than she will be able to repay. _Contentment. This is the emotion I feel when he is near. _Rei looks at his small form, and her eyes set. _Protective. I feel protective of him. I will listen to Sensei's words, Shinji will not be harmed so long as I exist._

"Doctor Akagi, please report to the bridge. Doctor Akagi, please report to the bridge." a voice says over the intercom, and Naoko stands up and moves for the door.

"I'll be by later to check on you and Shinji. Go home and rest, Rei." Naoko smiles as Rei nods, before following Maya out of the room.

"Rei-chan?"

"Yes, Shinji?" Rei turns her gaze back to the boy.

"Can we go home now and have some food?" he asks, right before a small growl emanates from his stomach, causing him to blush. Rei nods, her normal small smile present just for him, and sets Shinji on his feet on the floor.

Standing, Rei moves to the small bag left by the elder Akagi on the other chair near the door and removes a bundle of clothes. Walking to the bathroom, she turns to Shinji.

"I will only be a moment."

Walking into the bathroom, she closes the door and sets the bundle of clothes on the counter. Unrolling them, she finds her undergarment wrapped in a white short-sleeve blouse and a dark- and light-purple and white plaid knee-length skirt. Taking off the hospital gown, she puts on her under things, puts on and buttons-up the blouse, and slide up and fastens the skirt.

Now sufficiently dressed for moving about in public, as told to do by her Sensei, she leaves the bathroom and retrieves Shinji. Together, they leave the room, a room Rei feels she has both seen too many times, and yet feels she will see it many more times. Walking out to the front desk, Rei signs her release forms and leads Shinji out and to the lift to the surface.

***

Reaching home, Rei hears Shinji sigh contentedly and smiles. Moving into the kitchen, Rei begins gathering the necessary utensils for preparing a meal. She also opens the cookbook she had purchased at the bookstore near the tram station they used to reach surface. _I will begin with a simple recipe… perhaps rice and miso, like what was given to me by Sensei when I moved into this apartment…_

Shinji, standing in the archway between the living room and kitchen, watches intently as Rei carefully follows the cookbooks instructions. She carefully measures out the rice and water, then does the same with the ingredients for the miso soup. Once everything is mixed and heating, Rei sets a timer and moves to the small table.

Beckoning Shinji over, Rei takes the school bag out from under the table and places it on top. Shinji seats himself on the opposite side as Rei removes several papers, and lays the out neatly on beside the bag.

"These are forms for either home schooling, or entering the Tokyo-3 public school system." Rei says, touching each neat stack separately, "While I have been ordered to attend the Junior High school not far from the tram station across the city, I have been given the option to either school you myself or enroll you at the Elementary school not far from the apartment."

Shinji nods to show his understanding, but remains silent as Rei then continues, "I believe both would have the same effect as far as learning is concerned, but schooling you myself would limit your interaction with others your own age."

"This flaw," she continues, "Miss Ibuki tells me, is easily remedied by taking you to nearby parks and other areas frequented by children." Rei pauses, taking a deep breath. _I am unsure which I should choose…Though nothing prevents me from using my free time to teach him, _"I shall leave it for him to decide."

Shinji looks down, his face scrunched up in concentration. Rei watches him, trying to anticipate his choice. After a few minutes, his face sets as he make a decision and looks back up at her.

"I-I want you to teach m-me." his voice a little shaky, as if he fears being told no despite Rei telling him it would be his choice.

Rei releases a breath she had not known she was holding and nods. Shinji smiles brightly and darts around the table to hug her, chanting thank you several times. At that moment, the timer begins beeping, calling Rei back to the stove to finish her first home cooked meal, one made by her on her own.

"It smells really good Rei-chan." Shinji says, watching her finish with the miso, and eliciting a faint blush from the First Children with his compliment.

Setting the papers aside for now, Shinji sets the table for two, then three as Rei reminds him of Naoko's impending visit. As Rei sets the finished miso and rice on the table, ready for serving, the door chimes. Shinji darts to the door, and answers it with a polite good evening. Stepping from the hallway, Shinji leads Naoko into the kitchen. She smiles at seeing the extra place and the evidence of home cooked food. They all sit, and Rei serves them before serving herself.

"I'm glad to see you are settling in Rei." Naoko says part-way through the meal, "And I'm glad you are learning to cook also. OR did Shinji 'help' cook?"

"Nope. She did it all by herself." Shinji states like a proud parent, not realizing the smile on Naoko's face means it was a teasing comment and not serious, "She just grabbed the cookbook and got started."

Naoko chuckles at his tone and at the faint blush on Rei's cheeks at Shinji's simple compliment.

"I'm glad. But I am afraid I must be off." she says, looking at the clock over the sink, "I have an early day tomorrow, and so do you. Oh, that reminds me: Have you decided yet, Rei?"

"Yes," Rei nods, "I will request the required materials and will school Shinji myself."

"That's great." Naoko smiles, "I'll let Maya know so she can get you started. Don't forget while he may have to wait a day or two, you have school tomorrow."

"I will not be up late. Good night Doc- Naoko, I will see you this weekend?" Rei stumbles slightly as she remembers Naoko's request.

"Unless the commander wants another synch-test sooner than that," Naoko nods, "Good night Rei, Shinji."

"Good night Akagi-san!" Shinji yells happily as Naoko steps down the hall and out the front door.

While Shinji clears the table, Rei retrieves the papers and fills out those necessary for home-schooling. Once finished, she directs Shinji into the shower while she does the dishes, then takes her own shower.

After a quick cartoon on TV, Rei tucks Shinji into bed and lays down in her own. Both are out like a light the moment their heads touch their respective pillows.

A/N: wow, kinda long since the last update, but it's here now. R&R welcome and requested.


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